About Us

Joe Zacconi

Treasure/ Business Advisor 

Joseph’s career started in Real Estate in the Ottawa Region in 1984, which turned into a Banking career shortly afterwards. I grew throughout the banking network ranging from Bank Teller associate, then Securities and Investments associate, Lending officer, Financial Planner, General Manager, then Regional Manager with two leading Chartered Banks.
In between, I moved to Vancouver with my wife and 2 children, July 1997.

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By April 2013, I decided to become Independent and made one final move to a Leading Financial Planning firm.
Today, I continue to grow my business as a Certified Financial Planner and a Personal Financial Planner.
I also hold my Insurance License and enjoy helping clients with all their Financial Planning needs.
My hobbies are centered around the household: carpentry, automotive restorations and building homes in my spare time.
My children are now older, and we have been blessed with a grandchild.

Patrick Kelly

Advisor

Patrick is a native of Ottawa, Ontario. A graduate of the University of Ottawa with a B.A. in Arts and Education and a Master in Education, he taught for the former Ottawa and Carleton Boards of Education and their successor, the Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). He also taught for Algonquin College and Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. Patrick retired in 2002 from the OCDSB after twenty years as an educator.

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During a hiatus in education, Patrick pursued a career in the Hospitality and Tourism industry.
In 1999, Patrick was asked to join the Ottawa–Valley Critical Incident Stress Management Team (O-VCISM), as a volunteer Mental Health Professional.
Patrick is a Mental Health Trauma Responder for Ceridian Lifeworks, Morneau Shepell, Kenyon International, FEI Behavioural Health, and the Health Canada Psycho-Social Emergency Response Team. He has provided trauma service counselling for corporate clients whose staff were experiencing difficulties such as post-sudden death, robbery, suicide and downsizing.
As a volunteer Trauma Counsellor and C.I.S.M. Responder, Patrick has served as Lead and Co-Lead in conducting one-on-one and group diffusings and de-briefings. He has conducted these at the invitation of EMS, Fire, Police and Hospital Emergency staff as a result of automotive, fire or on-duty death occurences. He is an active Volunteer with Red Cross Disaster Management, Salvation Army Ballard Rehab Van, Ottawa Race Week, Army Run events and the Wreaths Across Canada / Maple Leaf Legacy projects.
Patrick is now retired from his role as Mental Health Professional for the Ottawa Fire Critical Incident Response Team (OFCIRT) and for the Ottawa Police Service Crisis Unit. He is a former Director of the Canadian Counselling Association, National Capital Regional Chapter, and is a member of the Canadian Trauma Stress Network, the Canadian Psychological Association (Disaster and Trauma Section) and the Canadian Federation of Chefs.
Patrick’s stress reducing interests include cooking, choral music, reading, walking, travel and playing blues harmonica.

Lisa Smith

Education and Wellness Director

Lisa C. Smith is an experienced NSCC Faculty member with 24 years of demonstrated history of working as an adult educator. She is skilled in Educational Technology, Team Building, Facilitation, Fundraising, and Leadership. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Honours from Mt. St. Vincent University, a Diploma focused in Funeral Service and Mortuary Science from Simmons Institute of Funeral Service Inc., and a Community College Adult Educator Certificate.

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Lisa is a fourth generation licensed Nova Scotia Funeral Director and Embalmer who started her career serving families in the Parrsboro area where her family still operates a funeral home. In addition to her faculty role at the NSCC, she develops and facilitates seminars and workshops for licensed funeral professionals and allied health professionals in Atlantic Canada.

A Valley Women’s Business Network member, Lisa is the founder of the Atlantic Network of Women in Funeral Service, Vice-Chair of the Nova Scotia Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, Chair of the Inglis Education Foundation Board for King’s-Edgehill School, King’s-Edgehill School Board Member, FSAC Education Committee member; Past President of the Funeral Service Association of Nova Scotia and the Annapolis Valley VON Community Corporation Board. She has served as Vice President for Professional Development for the former Community College Local of the NSTU and Chair of the planning committee for the Atlantic Provinces Funeral Directors and Service Convention and the NSCC Faculty and Professional Support Conference.

Lisa is a life long learner whose interests include health and wellness, networking and supporting student success.

Laura Fleseru

Advisor

Marketing Specialist with a Master’s degree in Communication and Political marketing, a solid project management background, 5 years of experience in public affairs and communications as an Advisor for The Chamber of Deputies in Romania and over 6 years of experience in marketing.

Recently gained my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and wrapped-up 3 years of Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy training.

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For more than 5 years, while serving as a Communications Advisor for the Romanian Parliament, I led the delivery of strategic communications, handling media relations, planning national and international events and drafting speeches, news releases and articles. During this time, I have worked closely with political stakeholders and not-for-profit organizations to promote gender equality, help recent graduates enter the workforce and support mandatory screening and covered therapy for autism spectrum disorder patients. 

While working in advertising, I spearheaded campaigns for a various industries: from retail, to beauty and banking. I coordinated tailored campaigns using social media, blogging, website redesign, outdoor marketing materials, video & radio commercials and in-store branding. Within my team, I have always made it a priority to encourage individual strengths, innovative ideas, diversity and open communication.

Throughout my career, the projects I was most passionate about were social responsibility campaigns. Personally, I feel there is no greater satisfaction than bringing communities closer together and helping them get their message across.

Michael Dixon

Executive Director / Founder

Mike was born in Transconia, Manitoba and moved to Ottawa in 1976. He attended St Pius X High School, then Algonquin College. He has worked in the funeral service industry for 26 years as a Funeral Director’s Assistant and will be attending Humber College in the Fall of 2019 to become a licensed Funeral Director.

Part of “Proud To Be Me”, a youth charity that deals with bullying in our communities. He also initiated Reach Up Ottawa, a local mental health charity focusing on teenagers and young adults.

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Involved with Partners for Mental Health, a national charity where he served as the Ottawa chapter Chairperson.
Michael has addressed the House of Commons and Provincial legislative committees concerning mental health issues in our country. He also underlined the need for governments to treat mental health issues as a rising problem in our schools, workplaces, cities and towns.
Michael is currently a member of the volunteer events board of the Royal Ottawa hospital.

 

Tracey Dixon

Operations Manager/ Fundraising 

Tracey has more than 15 years of management experience in the Health Care and Hospitality field. articularly effective in assessing and resolving operational and organizational problems to increase efficiencies and productivity, while reducing operating costs. With a background in sales and marketing, Tracey is working to get the word out about Canadian Funeral Peer Support. With many years devoted to volunteering Tracey has sat on numerous boards including the Rotary Club of Kanata Sunrise, Kanata Chamber of Commerce and the Irish Society

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of the National Capital Region.
With her devotion to the community Tracey won the United Way Community Builder Award in 2016.
Tracey is devoted to making mental health care for employees a part of the decision making in every organization in the funeral industry

Katie Hrycun

Director of Business Development 

Katie is a licensed Funeral Director / Embalmer of 13 years, with a total of 18 years serving the funeral industry. She understands what many Funeral Professionals face daily. Katie’s career began with her high school co-op and she has worked with both family owned funeral homes and corporations. Katie enjoys reading, racing sailboats, gardening and cooking. She has a kind partner and an infant son who is a wicked delight.

Glenda Cole

Program Director Nova Scotia / Prince Edward Island

Glenda Cole, CFSP. Funeral Director with Atlantic Funeral Homes (Halifax Chapel). Glenda is a graduate of the Funeral Service Program at NSCC Kingstec Campus, class of 2012. Glenda started working in Funeral Service in 2006 at McArthur Bros. & MacNeil Funeral Home in Cornwall, Ontario, first as a Funeral Director Assistant, then as a Funeral Director Apprentice to F.X. Curry.  In 2010 Glenda and her husband (late Don 2018),

returned to Nova Scotia where she continued her apprenticeship. A Licensed Funeral Director since 2011, she is employed with Atlantic Funeral Homes (Arbor Memorial) in their Halifax Chapel. Glenda joined the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice in December 2012 and has successfully earned her Certified Funeral Service Practitioner designation in November 2013. Glenda is a past president and Vice President of Funeral Service Association of Nova Scotia (President 2016 – 2017) (Vice President 2015-2016 and 2017-2019). An active member of Atlantic Network of Women in Funeral Service. She was a member of the Life Bundling Project Bereavement Advisory Group with Nova Scotia Dept. of Vital Statistics. Glenda has 4 sons, 4 grandchildren and is involved in her community.

Mark Pirozek

Program Director Manitoba/ Saskatchewan 

Mark was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and attended Kildonan East Collegiate. Mark was trained as a Mental Health Worker with the Province of Manitoba and served as mental health worker for a couple mental health self-help organizations. He also served as a board of director for the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba and later as Chairperson. He later worked for the City of Winnipeg as a bus operator for Winnipeg Transit until 2014.

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After leaving Winnipeg Transit Mark pursued his lifelong dream of working in the funeral industry. Mark enter the training program with the Canadian College of Funeral Service and graduated in May, 2017.
Mark started working at Bardal Funeral Home and Crematorium (www.bardal.ca) in June 2016 as an apprentice funeral director and embalmer. After graduating from CCFS, Mark stayed on with Bardal Funeral Home as a Funeral Director/Embalmer, in the fall of 2018 Mark was asked to step in as Acting Lead Embalmer, A roll he continues today. Bardal Funeral Home not only serves their families, they have a thriving trade embalming service to many funeral homes.

Amy Foster

Program Director Northern Ontario/ Facilitator Trainer 

Amy has been in the funeral profession since 2002 and obtained her Ontario Funeral Director Class II license in 2006. Amy spent her career working in the GTA, serving families who had lost their loved ones to murder, suicide, war, accidents and at very young ages. Amy’s career took her to places she never thought she would go and every experience left an imprint on her heart that will last a lifetime.

Living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression and anxiety has definitely come with its challenges mixed with the good days but she knew she still had a purpose. Due to Amy’s nature and need to support people it was only natural that she fell into Coaching and Peer Support. Amy is the owner of Never Walk Alone Coaching and developed the DIRECTOR 2 DIRECTOR Coaching Program in 2018. After being hired to work in the local mental health hospital, Amy successfully completed the Ontario Peer Development Initiative Training and ASIST Suicide Intervention Training in 2019 and continues to gain as much knowledge and training in order to grow as a Peer Supporter. She is very proud to be a board member with Canadian Funeral Peer Support and is excited to be part of this historical movement for funeral professionals across Canada.

Kim Zavrotny

Program Director USA 

Kim is currently a licensed funeral director working in Harford County, Maryland with the McComas Funeral Homes.  Kim was born and raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania. She is a 1988 graduate of Dallas High School, attended Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and received her AAS in Mortuary Science from Simmons Institute of Mortuary Science in Syracuse, NY in 1991.

After graduation, Kim served her apprenticeship in Norristown, PA and obtained her Pennsylvania funeral directors license in March 1993. After moving to Maryland in 2001, she fulfilled the requirements to secure her Maryland funeral directors license.  In 2014, she received her AA from Harford Community College in Paralegal Studies.

Kim is active in the Harford County, Maryland community currently serving as Vice President for the Chesapeake Professional Women’s Network (CPWN), and an at-large member of both the Welcome One Emergency Shelter and Citizens Care Center.  She had previously served on the board of the Geriatric Assistance and Information Network (GAIN) and also served on the CPWN fashion show committee and served as its chairperson in 2011 and 2012. She is a former member of the Mason-Dixon Business Association, BNI, and the planning committee for the ARC Northern Chesapeake Region’s annual After D’Arc event.  Currently, she is heading the End of Life Caregiver’s Group, which is a group designed to  bring together people who represent various organizations that work with people during each stage of the later segment of one’s life to share experiences and educate one another.

Kim lives in Abingdon with her husband, Jeff and her children, John and Zoe.  She has 2 dogs, Sadie and Dollie.

Rachele DiBartolo

Communication/ Media Director 

Rachele is a University of Ottawa graduate with a degree in history and communications in French Immersion. She is currently a change management advisor in the federal government working on the workplace modernization. In her spare time, she has volunteered in many capacities, such as serving as the Co-Chairperson of the Ottawa chapter of Partners For Mental Health.

More recently, she has carried out the role as the Ottawa administrator of the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Funeral Peer Support group. 

Amber Bailey

Website Coordinator 

Amber has recently graduated Algonquin College with honours from their Graphic Design Program. She is homegrown in Ottawa and a full-time dog Mom to Blue, her 1 year old corgi. Amber has had the pleasure of working on multiple design projects and is continuing to build her experience and grow as a designer.

Asja Monique

Office Administrator  

My name is Asj̈a-Monique Jacelon!
I am a licensed Funeral Director at Glen Oaks Funeral Home and Cemetery in Oakville.
Prior to my arrival in Canada (just over 3 years ago), I grew up in Trinidad (West Indies).
Currently, I reside in Barrie with my fiancé and 2, 4-legged children, Leia (Mastiff and Akita mixed 5 year old puppy) and Knuckles (9 month old hedgehog).

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(I will show everyone way too many pictures of them so I do apologise in advance).
I look forward to working with everyone to achieve and surpass all of our set goals.